Paul Pogba joins Monaco after end of doping ban in bid to revive career

The 32-year-old midfielder joins the Ligue 1 side on a free transfer and will look to reignite a career that has stalled in recent years.

Pogba was initially handed a four-year suspension in February 2024 after testing positive for DHEA, a banned substance that increases testosterone levels. However, the ban was reduced to 18 months following a successful appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

Juventus, where Pogba had been under contract until 2026, terminated his deal by mutual agreement in late 2024. His second spell in Turin, which began after a free transfer from Manchester United in 2022, was marred by persistent injuries and limited appearances.

Once the world's most expensive footballer following his 89 million pounds move to United in 2016, Pogba failed to reach the heights expected of him in England. He won the League Cup and Europa League in his first season back at Old Trafford but was unable to deliver consistent performances in the years that followed.

A key figure in France's 2018 World Cup triumph, Pogba last featured for the national team in 2022. A knee injury kept him out of the squad for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

Monaco finished third in Ligue 1 last season, behind champions Paris Saint-Germain and Olympique de Marseille. Pogba's arrival adds experience and pedigree to a side looking to build on their strong domestic campaign and return to prominence in European competition.